Electus & CollegeHumor Media Team Up To Form Electus Digital
Sam Reich Named President of Big Breakfast, Electus Digital's New Production Company
LOS ANGELES, CA and NEW YORK, NY(27 Jan 2014)
Multimedia entertainment studio Electus, an operating business of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI), today announced the formation of Electus Digital, a union of IAC's CollegeHumor Media and select Electus digital and studio properties. This alliance positions Electus Digital to become the leading entertainment company targeting people ages 18-34. Drew Buckley, Chief Operating Officer of Electus, will oversee the new division.
As part of Electus Digital, the CollegeHumor Originals production team has formed Big Breakfast, a full-service production company led by Sam Reich. Big Breakfast will focus on the development of feature length films, television programming and new media projects for Electus Digital, as well as continue to lead production of original videos for CollegeHumor.com. The company will also be responsible for creating original content for other digital platforms, in addition to television and film partners. Among Big Breakfast's first projects is a development deal with TBS to bring the hit CollegeHumor series, Jake and Amir, to television.
Electus Digital will be comprised of website properties CollegeHumor.com, Dorkly.com and WatchLOUD.com; YouTube channels WatchLOUD, Nuevon and Hungry; and production companies Big Breakfast and dumbdumb.
"This configuration represents a combination of the best of creative execution and distribution on the digital landscape," says Drew Buckley, Chief Operating Officer of Electus. "As one team, we are now able to deliver even more inventive, high-quality programming to more fans across all platforms."
"Since we started making original video content in 2006, we've kept Sam and his team in-house as our own little secret. Breaking them out should really unlock their potential," says Ricky Van Veen, Co-Founder of CollegeHumor.com, who will work in partnership with Drew Buckley across creative development and audience expansion for Electus Digital. "It's funny how many new projects have come together since we moved them to the West Coast—who would've thought being in Los Angeles would help with our film and TV efforts?"
"As CollegeHumor, we mastered the art of the internet short. Now, as Big Breakfast, we mean to master the arts of film and TV. We bring with us the most passionate comedy writers, directors, producers, and editors in the industry," says Sam Reich, President of Big Breakfast. "For years, we were a bubbling volcano, and now we're erupting all over Los Angeles, like in that Tommy Lee Jones movie."
Reich, who most recently was President of Original Content for CollegeHumor, established the CollegeHumor Originals department in 2006. He has since been responsible for the creative and production of all of CollegeHumor's original videos. In his seven years, he has earned the website over two billion views, a top YouTube channel, and 11 Webby Awards. Reich has overseen the creation of many hit web series such as Jake and Amir, Very Mary-Kate, Precious Plum and Badman, a Batman parody series with comedian Pete Holmes. In 2012, Reich was named one of Forbes' "30 Under 30" in the Media category.
For more information visit www.electus.com/digital.
About Electus
Electus is the first integrated multimedia entertainment studio to unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world, including: broadcast, cable, digital, OTT and various emerging technologies. The company connects advertisers, distributors and content creators early on in the development process, enabling marketers and advertisers to be true partners in campaigns and content creation. Electus Digital, the digital creative and distribution arm of Electus, specializes in creating entertaining content for digital, TV, and film platforms across comedy, music, gaming, food and urban lifestyle categories, and provides full-service branded and third party creative production services. It is comprised of website properties CollegeHumor.com, Dorkly.com and WatchLOUD.com; YouTube Channels WatchLOUD, Nuevon and Hungry; and production companies Big Breakfast and dumbdumb. Electus is an operating business of IAC [NASDAQ: IACI]. For more information on Electus, visit www.electus.com.
About Big Breakfast
Big Breakfast is the studio behind all Electus Digital video content, as well as a developer of long-form properties for Electus proper. A video factory, talent incubator, and idea generator, Big Breakfast aims to usher in a new era of passionate production by collaborating with fresh, emerging talent. Anchored by the team that established CollegeHumor Originals as an industry leader, Big Breakfast's writers, producers, and editors create videos for Electus Digital properties and outside partners and long-form projects with an emphasis on comedy. Working hand-in-hand with the Electus Digital ad sales team, Big Breakfast also produces some of the most exciting branded content in the industry. Big Breakfast is internet-savvy and hyper-professional, a rare combination in the world of video.